PASSINGS

Ahmed Al-Mirghani

Ex-president of Sudan

Ahmed al-Mirghani, 67, the former president of Sudan, died Sunday at his home in Alexandria, Egypt. The cause of death was not immediately known, but a close family friend, Ali Ahmed al-Said, said al-Mirghani had respiratory problems.

Al-Mirghani was removed from power 19 years ago by the military coup that brought the current regime to power.

He headed the last democratically elected government in Sudan, between 1986 and 1989.

Born Aug. 16, 1941, in Khartoum, Sudan, he came from a prominent Sudanese family, leaders of a Sufi Muslim sect that traces its lineage back to the prophet Muhammad.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir recently reached out to al-Mirghani, getting him to join a group lobbying for a new push for peace in Darfur. The group is part of al-Bashir’s efforts to gather supporters and opponents around what he calls a “final” call for peace in Darfur.

Baldev Raj Chopra

Bollywood film, TV producer

B.R. Chopra, 94, a veteran Indian filmmaker whose Bollywood career spanned five decades, died Wednesday at his home in Mumbai of ailments relating to old age, according to Yash Raj Films, a movie studio run by his younger brother.

Baldev Raj Chopra was born in Ludhiana, India, on April 22, 1914. After studying at Lahore University, he worked as a movie reporter.

After the partition of India, he moved to Mumbai, where he started his career as a filmmaker. He started his own production house, B.R. Films, in 1955. He became known for producing socially conscious movies in India.

Chopra’s films “Sadhana” and “Dharmputra,” directed by his brother Yash, dealt with the issues of rehabilitation of prostitutes and sectarianism after the partition.

He hired Mahendra Kapoor for many of his films, and was said to be instrumental in developing the singer’s career.

He also produced “Mahabharat,” one of the most successful Indian TV programs.

-- Times staff and wire reports